'Alcoholism is in our genes'

Last updated at 09:22 18 March 2005


The amount of alcohol we drink may be influenced by our genes, according to a new report.

The amount of alcoholic drinks that people regularly consume may be related to differences in genetic make-up, experts say.

Lead researcher Dr Marcus Munafo, at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, said: "Our study suggests that there's a genetic basis to certain kinds of behaviour, including alcohol consumption, which may be important in influencing whether people are at an increased risk of alcohol dependence.

"Understanding genetic influences on behaviour is important if we are to understand why some people are more likely to become addicted than others."

The scientists from Bristol and Oxford universities analysed data from almost a thousand people who gave detailed information on their drinking habits.

Strong links

Scientists said they found that one particular genetic variant, a version of the dopamine D2 receptor gene, was strongly associated with alcohol consumption.

This gene appears to influence the 'high' that people derive from drugs such as alcohol.

People without this variant might derive less pleasure from alcohol, and may therefore drink less.

Most watched News videos